Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell is an indispensable quick reference for Java programmers who are writing applications that use graphics or graphical user interfaces. The author of the bestsellingJava in a Nutshell has written fast-paced introductions to the Java APIs that comprise the Java Foundation Classes (JFC), such as the Swing GUI components and Java 2D, so that you can start using these exciting new technologies right away.This book also includes O'Reilly's classic-style, quick-reference material for all of the classes in the javax.swing and java.awt packages and their numerous subpackages. This reference material covers all of the new JFC classes in the Java 2 platform, as well as the existing Java 1.1 AWT classes. Once you've learned about the JFC, you'll keep this book next to your keyboard for handy reference while you program.Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell contains the following:

An overview of the architecture of graphical user interfaces built with both the new Swing API and the older AWT

An introduction to the important components and application services provided by the Swing API

An comprehensive explanation of the features of the new Java 2D graphics API

A complete quick reference for the graphics- and GUI-related classes in the Java 2 platform

This book is part of the two-volume set of quick references that every Java programmer needs. It is an essential companion to Java in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition, which covers the key nongraphical APIs in Java 1.2. A third volume, Java Enterprise in a Nutshell, focuses on the Java Enterprise APIs and is of interest to programmers working on server-side or enterprise Java applications.

David Flanagan

David Flanagan is a computer programmer who spends most of his time writing about JavaScript and Java. His books with O'Reilly include Java in a Nutshell, Java Examples in a Nutshell, Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell, JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, and JavaScript Pocket Reference. David has a degree in computer science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives with his wife and son in the U.S. Pacific Northwest bewteen the cities of Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. David has a simple website at http://www.davidflanagan.com.

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal appearing on the cover of Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell is a Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi), one of the rarest mammals on the globe. These large cats feature a long slender tail, and are anywhere from pale to dark brown on the top of their bodies, and white to tan on the underside. Their ears, nose, and tip of their tail are almost black. Males range from 100Â­150 pounds and are seven feet long, while females range from 50Â­100 pounds and are six feet long. A female can produce one to four kittens every two years, and they become fertile just over the age of two. Florida panthers used to be found in several southeastern states in the U.S., but urbanization and agriculture have caused their habitat to drastically shrink to the point where these animals can now be found only in Florida. They require some forestation and underbrush, for hunting and nesting, though they can be found in swamplands, as well. They prey primarily on deer, wild hogs, raccoons, and birds. Florida panthers are highly endangered, with reports of only fifty remaining in the world. The biggest threat is loss of habitat. A few organizations are working to keep this animal from becoming extinct. There is a Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in the Big Cypress Watershed on which some female panthers have given birth to and raised their kittens. Nicole Arigo was the production editor for Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell. Nancy Crumpton provided production services and wrote the index. Nicole Arigo and Jane Ellin provided quality control. Edie Freedman designed the cover of this book, using an original drawing by Lorrie LeJeune. Kathleen Wilson produced the cover layout with Quark XPress 3.3 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font. Alicia Cech designed the interior layout based on a series design by Nancy Priest. The text was written in DocBook SGML with extensions developed by Chris Maden and David Flanagan for Java code; the design was implemented in gtroff by Lenny Muellner. Interior fonts are Adobe ITC Garamond and Adobe ITC Franklin Gothic. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Rhon Porter using Macromedia FreeHand 8 and Adobe Photoshop 5. This colophon was written by Nicole Arigo.